Another document, this one so dripping with the Clinton family’s sleazy greed that not even the biased media wing of the Democrats’ party could ignore it, again splashes Clinton Foundation’s record of scandals across front pages once again. As the good folks at America Rising put it, “A new memo by former top Bill Clinton aide Doug Band details how the Clintons’ corporate ties enriched both the family and the Clinton Foundation:
When top Bill Clinton aide Douglas Band wrote the memo, he was a central player at the Clinton Foundation and president of his own corporate consulting firm. He made a case that his work had served the interests of the family and its charity. In doing so, Band also detailed a circle of enrichment in which he raised money for the Clinton Foundation from top-tier corporations such as Dow Chemical and Coca-Cola while pressing many of those same donors to provide personal income to the former president and sign on as clients of Band’s firm, Teneo.
Here’s a sampling of the scandal-filled headlines blasting what is becoming known as Clinton Family Inc.:
- Los Angeles Times: “An aide says he once arranged for $50 million in payments for Bill Clinton“
- Politico: “Hacked memo offers an angry glimpse inside ‘Bill Clinton Inc.’”
- Washington Post: “Inside ‘Bill Clinton Inc.’: Hacked memo reveals intersection of charity and personal income”
- Wall Street Journal: “Clinton Foundation’s Fundraisers Pressed Donors to Steer Business to Former President”
- CNN: “WikiLeaks-released memo outlines Bill Clinton’s lucrative speeches”
- New York Times: “Donations to Foundation Vexed Hillary Clinton’s Aides, Emails Show”
- The Hill: “Memo reveals interplay between Clinton Foundation, personal business”Preview Changes
- CBS: “New leaked emails adds fuel to Clinton Foundation controversy”
This Clinton Family Inc. stuff is so egregious “Morning Joe” spent 17 minutes on it. Just watch the first couple of minutes of the following video clip from the opening:
The articles are devastating, revealing what the the Washington Post refereed to as the “aggressive strategy” of lining up consulting contracts and paid speaking engagements for Bill Clinton that added tens of millions of dollars to the family’s fortune, including during the years that Hillary Clinton led the State Department. It describes how Band helped run what he called “Bill Clinton Inc.,” obtaining “in-kind services for the President and his family — for personal travel, hospitality, vacation and the like.”
Its disgusting, but the Clintons are oblivious or just do not care just how bad it looks. We’ve been complaining about the Clinton Foundation scheme since it first came to light in 2008 in the revelations that eight years after leaving the White House “dead broke” the Clintons had earned more than $109 million. Hillary and Bill took tax write-offs totaling $10.2 million, about 9%, in charitable contributions. Most of that money went to the Clinton Family Foundation, and a portion was distributed to charitable causes. Between 2001 and 2006, the Clintons put about $6 million into the foundation. The Clintons took a tax write-off for that money even though the foundation only gave away gave away about $2.5 million to other charities. The foundation was kept off of Hillary’s Senate disclosure forms for six years even though she was required to do so by the Ethics in Government Act.
But Ive never seen any one put it better than Stephen Green did this morning:
The Clintons don’t produce any desirable consumer products, or perform any traditionally useful services like accounting or dry cleaning. They have built no factories, dug no mines, nor worked any farms. They hold no patents and have developed no real estate. They are not medical doctors of rare skill. They haven’t starred in any hit movies or sung any popular songs. They have (allegedly) written and sold some books, but not the kind of bestsellers that get turned into TV shows and make real money.
And yet they have grown rich “beyond the dreams of avarice” since Bill left office nearly 16 years ago, and even richer since Hillary entered international politics just eight years ago.
How?
By peddling influence — an activity which generates great wealth only in a corrupt and overly bureaucratic society.
That’s the swamp that needs to be drained.
No wonder they so badly want to return to the White House. Just imagine how much they enrich themselves after another Clinton presidency.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member